The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera follows 12-year-old Petra Peña, who embarks on a 380-year space journey to the planet Sagan with her family as Earth faces destruction from Halley's Comet. Awakening from stasis, Petra discovers that the Collective has taken over, erasing individuality and creativity. With her storytelling heritage, she resists their control and attempts to save her fellow Earthlings by fleeing to a new colony on Sagan. The novel addresses themes of individuality, memory, and cultural preservation.

Donna Barba Higuera’s The Last Cuentista captivates readers with its unique fusion of science fiction and Mexican folklore. Praised for its rich storytelling and emotional depth, the novel successfully balances adventure with poignant themes of memory and identity. Some critiques highlight occasional pacing issues, but overall, it’s a compelling read for both young adults and older audiences.

A reader who would enjoy The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera typically appreciates dystopian science fiction with strong cultural elements. Fans of Lois Lowry's The Giver and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time will find the novel's mix of imaginative world-building and deep human themes particularly engaging.

Mysterious / Emotional / Adventurous / Inspirational

- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera won the prestigious John Newbery Medal in 2022, recognizing it as the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in the previous year.
- The book also received the Pura Belpré Award, which honors Latinx authors and illustrators whose work celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
- Higuera's storytelling in The Last Cuentista is influenced by her Mexican heritage, incorporating elements of folklore and the oral storytelling tradition into a science fiction narrative.

**Petra Peña**  
Petra is a 13-year-old girl of Hispanic descent with retinitis pigmentosa, living in the southwestern United States. Unlike other space travelers on their way to Sagan, she retains her memories and personal identity while in stasis. Passionate about storytelling, or being a cuentista, she aims to restore other travelers' memories by sharing traditional cuentos.

**Lita**  
Lita is Petra’s grandmother and a cuentista who inspires Petra to become a storyteller. She passes on her imaginative and creative spirit to Petra, despite not joining the journey to the new planet.

**Javier**  
Javier is Petra’s younger brother, marked by a birthmark on his thumb. He initially promises to be Petra’s eyes, as he lacks her vision issues. His journey is intertwined with Petra's efforts on the spaceship and the planet Sagan.

**Chancellor Nyla**  
Nyla is the head of the Collective, characterized by her pale complexion and violet eyes. She is dedicated to the survival of the group, prioritizing collective security over individual lives, and sees humanity as a possible threat.

**Voxy**  
Voxy is a young member of the Collective, sharing quarters with Nyla. Drawn to Petra’s cuentos, he embodies traits such as compassion and curiosity, which are at odds with Collective values.

**Ben**  
Ben is Petra and Javier’s Monitor on the spaceship. Sharing Petra’s love for literature, he secretly downloads cultural and literary programs into her memory, hoping to safeguard humanity’s knowledge.

Donna Barba Higuera

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Chapters 1-8

The Last Cuentista Chapters 1-8 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 9-16

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Chapters 17-21

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Chapters 22-25

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Chapters 26-30

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